Quebec Banking On Int'l Summit To Spur Meetings
<B> Quebec Banking On Int'l Summit To Spur Meetings</B>
By Carolyn Green
Quebec City in May 2001 will host the Summit of the Americas and its more than 7,000 attendees, which will heighten awareness of the city's ability to handle major international conventions, said Pierre Labrie, general manager of the Quebec Area Tourism & Convention Bureau.
"Over the next 18 months, we will sell a lot of room nights strictly related to the planning of this event. And there will be an aftermath because of the high visibility the Summit will have," Labrie said.
"A lot of people think of Quebec City as a honeymoon or holiday destination," said Ann Cantin, spokesperson for the Quebec City Convention Center, "but they don't really think about us for meetings. With the kind of publicity we'll get from the Summit, everybody will think of us."
Even before the May announcement of the Summit, spokesmen were encouraged that Quebec City would be able to attract additional meeting business. "Our convention center is starting to assert its presence in the marketplace," said Robert Di Gaetano, general manager of Hilton Quebec.
According to a recent study conducted by the center, the three-year-old meeting facility generated direct and indirect economic benefits of $31 million for the fiscal year that ended in March 1999, representing a 9.4 percent year-over-year increase.
Hotel occupancy also is rising. For the first quarter of 1999, Toronto-based hotel consultants, Pannell Kerr Forster Management Consultants, said occupancy was 53.7 percent, nearly 9 percent higher than the same period in 1998. Average daily room rate has increased too, to $63.92 compared with $60.17 for the first quarter of 1998.
Although PKF does not conduct forecasts for Quebec City, senior consultant Rich Eichler said he expects the trend of increased occupancy and room rates to continue throughout 1999. "Everyone is looking forward to a good year because it's a growing economy and the low-value of the Canadian dollar."
One clear indication that suppliers are optimistic that Quebec City will grow as a business destination are the number of new and upgraded products and services being developed. For example, Continental Airlines in June began daily service between Quebec and Newark, N.J. "It's a big plus for Quebec and will help attract business travelers, FIT and group travel," said Labrie.
As well, Air Canada recently renovated its business class lounge at Quebec's Jean Lesage International Airport, increasing the size by 30 percent and changing the décor. The facility now has a Xerox business center equipped with four workstations, and photocopying and fax machines.
Hoteliers also have upgraded facilities. The Hilton Quebec recently completed a US$10.5 million renovation, increasing the total number of rooms to 571 and expanding the hotel's executive class room count to 78 from 45. All guest rooms and suites received a facelift, and the lounge was expanded and moved from an executive class floor to the lobby.
The historic 106-year-old Chateau Frontenac in May opened a business class facility. The new Entree Gold has 40 guest rooms, a lounge and a private boardroom.
At Loews Le Concorde Hotel, a US$3.4 million renovation was completed earlier in the year. All 404 guest rooms were given a facelift and now have three phone lines and a dataport. The hotel's 24,000-sq.-ft. of meeting space also was renovated.
Like other major downtown hotels, the Radisson Hotel Gouverneur will undergo a $3.4 million renovation later this year, that will include the refurbishment of its 30,000 square feet of meeting space and 377 rooms.